| MURIE AUDUBON SOCIETY CASPER, WYOMING |
| VOLUME 39 - ISSUE 7 MONTHLY PUBLICATION NOVEMBER 2005 |
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Oct. 29 - BOSS Sale
Nov. 4 - Membership Mtg. - 7 P.M. - Oil & Gas Conservation Bldg., 2211 King
Blvd.
Nov. 8 - Bd. Mtg. - 7 P.M. - Audubon Center at Garden Creek - 101 Garden Creek
Rd.
Nov. 11 - Article deadline for December newsletter.
Nov. 12 - Project FeederWatch begins
Nov. 24 - Thanksgiving Bird Count
Dec. 17 - Murie’s CBC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Click on title to go directly to article. Click on Sage-Grouse at end of article to come back
HERE)
The
discovery near Pinedale of an ancient migration corridor for game and
prehistoric hunters will be the subject of our November program. Meredith
Taylor’s program, "Ancient Corridors: The Trapper’s Point Story," is presented
by the Wyoming Council for the Humanities and sponsored by the Murie Audubon
Society.
Taylor will describe the history and documentation of Trapper’s Point, which is
located on second longest game migration trail in North America. Recent
discoveries show that ancient peoples hunted pronghorn in this area at least six
thousand years ago. Antelope continue to migrate along the corridor today, but
development threatens its future.
Taylor has been involved in conservation activities and
natural history interpretation of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem for almost
thirty years. She serves as Wildlife Program Director for the Wyoming Outdoor
Council. In addition, she operates a wilderness horse-packing business with her
husband, Tory.
Taylor’s presentation is offered by the Wyoming Council for the Humanities
through its 2005 Humanities Forum. Council programs explore the human
experience—our lives, our communities, our world—in partnership with nonprofit
organizations throughout Wyoming. Emphasis is placed on fostering forums for
discussion among Wyoming residents.
Major funding for the council comes from the National
Endowment for the Humanities and private contributions. Free and open to the
public, the program begins November 4th at 7:00 p.m. at the Wyoming Oil and Gas
Conservation Commission Building, 2211 King Boulevard. Mark your calendar
and bring a friend!
Bruce Walgren - Program Chair
WOW!!!!
I couldn’t believe it when I heard that we had raised $80 at our raffle at
October’s Membership meeting. Whether it was Jim Brown’s salesmanship, the
pocket calendars or the painting, it was a huge success! We will have more
pocket calendars at November’s meeting, as well as a donated painting from
Jim Brown. Which brings up the subject of raffle prizes. Does anyone reading
this have a donation they would like to make for future raffles? Please
contact me if you do (Rose-Mary, 577-0568).
We are also in need of silent auction and raffle items for
the banquet January 28, 2006. Rose-Mary, Bruce or Donna Walgren (234-7455)
or Marci Andre (474-3808) will pick up your donations.
Looking ahead, the Thanksgiving Bird Count is November 24.
Good way to spend an hour before or after the feast! You count the numbers
of each species which come into a 15 foot circle in one hour. Circle can be
anywhere, even around your backyard feeders. Contact me if you need a form
to tabulate your findings. Internet users can download the form at
Thanksgiving Bird Count.
Murie’s Christmas Bird Count will be December 17. Contact
Stacey Scott if you would like to participate. More information will be in
the December newsletter.
See you at the November Membership meeting, bring your used
printer ink cartridges and bring your $ for the raffle!
Rose-Mary King - President
ever. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Among
the birds migrating in September were warblers and raptors. One indication
was the Yard Bird Project in which 9 species of raptors were reported and 8
species of warblers – including 2 Townsend’s Warblers. Who was Townsend
anyway!?!
John Kirk Townsend (1809-51) belonged to the natural history
establishment in Philadelphia in the early 1800s. He is probably mostly
known for his expedition to the Pacific Northwest with Thomas Nuttall in
which several new North American bird species were discovered and collected,
among these the Townsend’s Solitaire, named after Townsend. He was also
working on a comprehensive volume on American birds, however, the
publication of Birds of America by his contemporary (John J. Audubon)
overshadowed Townsend’s work and he never completed the book. In spite of
being considered a brilliant ornithologist, he became discouraged and
abandoned the field of natural history in 1845 to go into dentistry. But he
became ill, probably from the effects of the powdered arsenic he used to
cure bird skins, and died at the age of 42. John Townsend should not be
confused with Charles Townsend (not a contemporary of John, 1859-1944) who
wrote contributions to Bent’s Life Histories of North American Birds.
September Yard Birds – For the month of September,
Wayne Tree and I received 178 yard bird selections from 21 states, Yukon
Territory, and South Africa, with 93 different species reported. As is
typical for this time of year, warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers, and raptors
were frequently reported. The top yard bird pick was the Northern Flicker.
Second place was a tie between Yellow-rumped Warbler and White-crowned
Sparrow. Third place was shared by Turkey Vulture, Sandhill Crane, and
American Robin.
Casper: Jim Herold – Mountain Chickadee, Bart Rea –
White-crowned Sparrow, Gloria Lawrence – Orange-crowned Warbler, Jim
Lawrence – Townsend’s Warbler, Chris Michelson – Red-breasted Nuthatch, Jim
Brown – Cooper’s Hawk, Rose-Mary King – Wilson’s Warbler, Bruce Walgren –
Dark-eyed Junco, Donna Walgren – Turkey Vulture; Buffalo: Deane
Bjerke – Wilson’s Warbler; Dubois: Ralph Moldenhauer – Cassin’s
Vireo; Evanston: Patti Gorman – Pine Siskin; Lovell: Glen
Olsen – Blue-gray Gnatcatcher; Riverton: Bob Hargis – Green-tailed
Towhee, Suzanne Hargis – Brown Thrasher.
Thanks to all who helped with the Yard Bird Project in
September!! Pick the bird you most enjoyed seeing in, over, or from your
yard in October and send your choice to Donna Walgren (ph. 234-7455), 4311
S. Center St., Casper 82601, or email to bwalgren_AT _coffeyDOTcom. Thanks
again!!
To find out what birds have been seen in Casper and around
the state, call Murie Audubon’s Bird Hotline: in Casper, 265-BIRD, outside
of Casper, 1-888-265-BIRD. Donna Walgren
We will be
offering one scholarship to Eco Tracs:Discovery Camp for Kids next July.
The camp is located out of Dubois at
Lucius Burch Center at Trail Lake Ranch.
The camp is for grades 4-6. The scholarship will be awarded to an
applicant from a classroom participating in the Audubon Adventures program.
Craig Carlson from Southridge School and Sandy Hartsky from
Oregon Trail are helping me on the committee that has been working on the
application forms and will be selecting the student to go to the camp.
Conservation education specialist Bruce Thompson will be the
lead teacher. Through field classes, hands-on activities, and art projects,
participants will:
Learn to read tracks and scat and
figure out who left them
Explore forest, prairies, mountains
and creeks
Learn their role in the
interrelationships among all wild things
Develop understanding of and
respect for their outdoor home.
Audubon Teachers, students and parents
- if this sounds like a fit for you, contact Craig, Sandy or Ann and let them
know you are interested. They will make sure you receive the necessary forms to
fill out.
Depending upon the response, the board and/or committee will consider broadening
the offering of scholarships for 2007.
Ann Hines - Education Chair
Ann Hines reported that we have 70
classrooms signed up for Audubon Adventures; we have sponsors for 57 of them
so far.
Peg Cullen has resigned from
Murie’s Board of Directors (she has moved to Sheridan). We wish her well.
Peg was our annual banquet chair, if anyone would like to take over this
position, please contact Rose-Mary King. Also, we are beginning to plan and
organize activities for the banquet to be held in January, anyone willing to
help with these activities should contact Rose-Mary.
Rose-Mary reported from Audubon
Wyoming that the cost of each bridge to be repaired at the Garden Creek
Center will cost $2300. No decision was made as to how much money Murie
should donate towards this project.
Ann Hines’ committee working on the
scholarship for the Eco-Tracs Camp at Trail Lake Ranch is finalizing
qualification details; the scholarship will be offered to 4th, 5th, and 6th
grade Audubon Adventures classes.
The black-oil sunflower seed sale
will be held on Saturday, October 29 at Noland Feeds from 8 am to 1 pm. The
price has increased somewhat (Murie’s cost will be a dollar per bag more),
but the sale price will still be $15 for a 50-lb. bag.
The Christmas Bird Count date was
set for Saturday, December 17.
Donna Walgren -
Recording Secretary
Proceeds from this year’s seed sale will help defray the costs to operate
Murie’s Bird Hospital and Rehabilitation project. We will be offering 50# bags
of black oil sunflower seed for $15 per bag. You need not pre-order your seeds
unless you wish. If you wish to purchase seeds but will be out of town on the
day of distribution, let us know and we can make arrangements for later pickup.
Also, if you are unable to handle the 50# bags, let us know and we can make
arrangements for delivery. Seed distribution will take place from 8 AM until 1
PM on October 29. We will be at the same location as last year. Noland Feed has
once again ordered seed for us and allowed us to sell seeds out of their storage
facility. Look for a large overhead door at the south side of the Arrowhead Meat
Processing building. Contact Bruce Walgren at 234-7455, or Rose-Mary at
577-0568.
Project FeederWatch, the popular citizen-science project, is entering its 18th
season. More than 10,000 participants across North America have made Project
FeederWatch part of their winter ritual. FeederWatch participants track birds at
their feeders from November through early April to help scientists monitor bird
pop
ulations.
Last year's season turned up some surprises, including the inexorable march of
an invasive species, pets gone wild, and many rare bird sightings. An invasive
species, the Eurasian collared-dove, continued its astounding expansion across
North America. In a few short years after being introduced in the Bahamas, this
native of the Indian subcontinent has spread over nearly two-thirds of the
continental United States. Flocks of monk parakeets, another non-native species,
turned up in Chicago, Connecticut, Long Island, and Florida. These parakeets are
among the dozens of avian immigrants that have escaped from captivity and are
now successfully reproducing in the wild. Among the many rare birds reported by
FeederWatchers, an orchard oriole in California drew crowds of dazzled
onlookers. Other birds that wandered from normal winter homes included western
tanagers in Florida and a black-throated blue warbler in Oregon.
The plot is likely to thicken in other unexpected ways as the 2005–2006 season
unfolds. People of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. The
project begins November 12th, but you can join any time. To learn more about
Project FeederWatch or to register, log onto
Cornell Lab -
Project FeederWatch or call
Cornell Lab toll-free at (800) 843–2473. In return for your $15 participation
fee ($12 for Lab members), participants receive the FeederWatcher’s Handbook, a
colorful poster of the most common feeder birds, a calendar, complete
instructions on how to file their reports, the FeederWatch Year in Review, and a
subscription to the Lab’s newsletter, BirdScope. “Large-scale bird population
studies would not be possible without our dedicated FeederWatchers,” says David
Bonter. “By simply watching from their home, each observer broadens our window
on the world.”
From the Cornell Lab website.
Put our the welcome mat! Habitat loss is the biggest challenge facing birds.
You can help by making your neighborhood more attractive to birds by landscaping
with native plants that provide natural food sources, shelter from the elements
and predators, and nesting sites. Providing feeders, nest boxes and water also
benefit birds.
Prepare a proper menu. Providing the appropriate foods year round will
attract more birds to your yard and help ensure that they have a safe and
nutritious diet. Refill feeders regularly with food desired by birds in your
area.
Keep feed and feeding areas clean. To help reduce the possibility of disease
transmission in birds, clean feeders and feeding areas at least once a month.
Plastic and metal feeders can go in the dishwasher, or rinse these and other
styles with a 10% solution of bleach and warm water. Scrub birdbaths with a
brush and replace water every three to five days to discourage mosquito
reproduction. Rake up and dispose of seed hulls under feeders. Keep seed and
foods dry; discard food that smells musty, is wet or looks moldy. Hummingbirds
feeders should be cleaned every three to five days, or every other day in warm
weather. It is good hygiene to wash your hands after filling or cleaning
feeders.
Birds and chemicals don’t mix. Many pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are
toxic to birds; avoid using these near areas where birds feed, bathe, or rest.
Always follow directions provided by chemical manufactures.
Keep cats away from birds. Scientists estimate that cats probably kill
hundreds of millions of birds each year in the U.S. This is a big problem, but
it’s easy to fix. Many people who enjoy feeding birds also love cats. The best
solution is to keep cats indoors. They will lead longer, healthier lives, and
your yard will be safer for birds. Install feeders in area not readily
accessible to cats or install fences or other barriers to help keep stray cats
from feeder area. Collar bells, de-clawing and keeping cats well fed will not
solve the problem.
Reduce window collisions. Collisions with glass windows kill millions of wild
birds every year. Depending on their size and location, some windows reflect the
sky or vegetation and birds are fooled into thinking they can fly through them.
To eliminate this problem, identify windows that cause collisions (typically
larger, reflective window, those near the ground, or those that “look through”
the house). Attaching decorative decals or other decorations to the outside
surface of the glass can reduce reflections. Feeder birds fleeing predators are
vulnerable to window collisions. If this is happening at your house, consider
moving feeders within three feet of the windows so that birds cannot accelerate
to injury level speeds while flying away. Problem windows can be covered with a
screen so that birds bounce off, rather than hit the glass.
For more information on backyard birding, visit Backyard Birdcare.
From the
National
Birdfeeding Society website.
